Wallabies skipper James Horwill believes his team can beat the All Blacks in the third and final Bledisloe Cup match.

MILESTONE man Will Genia would be the only Wallaby guaranteed a start in an Anzac XV backline loaded with All Blacks, which is the measure of the daunting gulf in precision that the Australians must try to bridge in Dunedin.

Justin Marshall, the champion former All Blacks No.9, unreservedly saluted Genia as "the best halfback in the world" but was far less in awe of the rest of the Wallabies backline which has fired so few shots in 2013.

The kudos directed Genia's way is richly deserved but there is only one way a smile will be on his face after his 50th Test ... an upset for the ages as the Wallabies chase their first victory in New Zealand since their 2001 visit to the same city.

"There's a few Wallabies like Israel Folau, a fabulous player, and (flanker) Michael Hooper who you'd definitely have in a combined squad of Aussies and Kiwis but Genia is the standout ... best in the world for his position," Marshall said.

Intriguingly, Marshall said the Wallabies might just have got selection right for the first time in this year's Bledisloe Cup series by pairing game-changer Genia with long-time Queensland Reds five-eighth partner Quade Cooper.

"There was no relationship on-field between Genia and Matt Toomua in the first two Bledisloes and it showed,” Marshall said.

"Being benched has happened to a lot of great players. Genia will be better for it and I think we've already seen that with the Test he played most recently in Argentina."

The late injury exit of skipper Richie McCaw (calf) is far more significant than Wallabies skipper James Horwill admitted when diplomatically hosing down that theme on Friday.

All Blacks great Justin Marshall believes Genia's is the world's premier No.9.

Two of the few Wallabies’ victories over the All Blacks in the past decade in Sydney (2004 and 2008) were generated when George Smith ran amok with McCaw out injured.

Hooper and his forward henchman need to make the most of McCaw's absence, which trims some of the steely edge from the world champions and removes his masterful manipulation of referees.

Horwill bristled at the notion that this was a dead rubber Test with far less at stake.

"It's a huge game because we're playing New Zealand in NZ. No one should downplay that," Horwill said with stare.

Genia has won just two of his 15 Tests against the All Blacks since his debut at Auckland's Eden Park in 2009 and it hurts deeply.

"As a young kid watching the Wallabies you never imagine being out there because you see players like George Gregan playing," the ever-humble Genia said.

"My first Test for a few minutes against the All Blacks was an amazing experience. I got goosebumps facing the haka and still do.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie explains why he's handed Peter Betham his Test debut for the final Bledisloe Cup match against the All Blacks.

"It never gets old. I look forward to playing the All Blacks more than any other side. If you can get a win the feeling is very special.

"I've only had that feeling twice (in Hong Kong in 2010 and in Brisbane a year later). For me, winning is the only pass mark."

He has his mate Cooper's back if the crowd niggle starts: “I'm really proud of the way Quadey is getting on with business. The crowd stuff has been going on for a long time now. If they boo him, they boo all of us. It's about the whole 23 of us getting stuck into this Test."

When put on the spot about what kingpin All Blacks traits he would like to infuse into the Wallabies effort on Saturday night, Genia answered swiftly.

"There's a few but just the ability to build pressure," Genia said.

"That can be through the ability to hold onto the ball, not pushing passes and building pressure in defence by having discipline in our line rather than having blokes shooting out of the line chasing lost causes at breakdowns."

Horwill relished giving Genia a friendly sledge after enthusing about him never dropping his head on the bench.

"He was called Poo-Bear as a little fat kid at our school (Brisbane Boys College). You see him now as one of the best in the world," Horwill said.

The seven tries against Argentina that pumped up the Wallabies’ confidence may be proven skin-deep unless the Australians make an emphatic start because All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has been bemused by the toned-down Aussie strut this season.

"One of the big problems they have had is a lack of confidence, a lack of self-belief which is unusual for Australia," Hansen said.

Showers throughout Friday in Dunedin showed the value of the roof over Forsyth Barr Stadium where a dry-ground Test will give the Aussies a far better shot of winning than if it had been played on a slippery old Carisbrook surface.

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